Frosted Freedom
by whitetigercub
Summary: After being tossed, unexpectedly, into the Forest, with, as usual, no answers from Manny, Jack stumbles upon a tower. Little does he know that a witch and a lost princess lie inside. Will he be the hero or will a heroine rise?
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer- I do not own Rise of the Guardians, or Tangled. Please be gentle, this is my first attempt at fanfic.**_

"…" _**means talking**_

'…' _ **means thought**_

Corona was always a peaceful kingdom that never seemed to be at wrong with others. It was always one of Jack's favorite places to go. Whether to enjoy the nice cool breeze or just to cause trouble, he never found much boredom there. The wind carried him high above, where he could easily see the whole kingdom. He dove down, through the sky, landing somewhere near the town square. Snow fell lightly as some children ran by, screaming and laughing, while pelting each other with snowballs.

"You're welcome!" He declared proudly, admiring his work, even knowing they couldn't hear him.

He swung his staff over his shoulder and walked down the stone path, through the market area, careful to avoid people walking through him. Although it was expected, it still hurt; _every time_. The center of the kingdom was always the busiest. What he loved most was when he went by the flower seller and frosted over the flowers, just so he could watch the man curse and yell.

As he walked, he saw a mother and her two daughters sitting at a great wall mosaic that depicted the king and queen holding the newborn princess. A short time after the baby was born, she was reported kidnapped. He remembered how devastated the kingdom was in that time.

The older sister showed her younger one a small flower. "It's for the lost princess," she explained. Jack couldn't help but smile at their love for their missing royal. "Hey wind! Take me up!" He yelled. Soon a gust of wind blew through the town square, lifting him off his feet and carrying him up to the sky. Relaxing, he let the wind fly him away from the kingdom to the next destination in need of snow; and, slowly, he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

When Jack awoke, he glanced down at his surroundings.

' _Forest?'_ He wondered, very puzzled.

From as far as the horizon, there were nothing but trees. This was not where he intended to go. "Now why did you bring me _here_?" He questioned the air.

Attempting to leave, he turned to fly in the other direction. Suddenly the wind began blowing against him, forcing him to stay in one place. "Hey!" He shouted, pushing through the air in a futile effort to gain control of where he was going. His attempts ended when the wind stopped blowing all together. Jack suddenly found himself falling through the trees below. Hitting one branch after another, his body finally found the unwelcoming ground. Grunting in pain, he got to his feet. "I know you have a mind of your own, but seriously!?" He exclaimed. "Take me up!"… _Nothing…_ "Hello?" Much to his dismay, the wind had stopped listening to him all together. "You can't just leave me here!?" Again, there was no response. Jack sighed in defeat and began to walk. To where? He had no idea.

After what seemed hours of walking through a range of trees that all looked the same, it had become quite clear he had lost his sense of direction. Not long after this realization, he started cursing at the wind and muttering to himself. This had never happened before! Since when did his only company (be it living, or not) desert him?! This could _not_ be happening.

He broke into an all out run, passing by tree after tree, but it all looked the same. After minutes of running, he stumbled to a stop. Breathing heavily, Jack fell against a rock and slid down to sit. ' _Well_ _I guess Arendale will have to kiss its snow day goodbye,'_ he thought sarcastically, as he struggled to catch his breath. He had been wandering for so long that, by the time he looked up again, the moon was high in the sky. "Is there…something you wanted to tell me?" Jack had now hoped that there was a reason he had been dropped in the middle of a forest, and just so happened to come to rest at an opening where he could see the moon clearly. As usual there was no answer.

' _Typical,'_ he thought, tearing up inside.

He stood up, resting his hand against a vine covered wall. At least, he _thought_ it was a wall. This idea was soon proved wrong as he fell through the curtain, stumbling to keep his balance. "What…in the world?" He gasped aloud. Slowly, he made his way through the cave like entrance. When he finally reached the end, what he saw mystified him.

' _A tower…in the middle of a never-ending forest?!'_


	2. Chapter 2

The tower rose high above him, climbing plants all around it, with only one small opening at the top that Jack could see. Behind the tower was a setting of a waterfall and flowers all around the small, rolling, piece of land. Unlike the rest of the forest, with its winterish bare trees, the season of the clearing, surrounding the tower, could easily be mistaken for spring. To say it was beautiful would be a massive understatement.

"Wow~," he stated in astonishment.

' _This is certainly an interesting discovery, but I think it can wait'_ he decided.

Jack turned to exit the clearing. However, just as he was about to go, a sing-song like voice echoed from the tower. Curiously, he looked back at the tower, surprised that anyone would live in a place so far from civilization. Walking up to and around the tower, he inspected it.

' _Leave, and find a way out of forest, or fill curiosity'_ he debated in his head.

The normal person would have more than likely left to seek a means of escaping the forest; unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on how you look at it, Jack was not one of those people. All of a sudden, he heard two women talking from the other side of the tower; though he was barely able to understand what they were saying.

"Now don't you forget to do your chores, and make supper, and brush your hair, and…" Jack listened as the woman he identified as 'the person with the sing-song voice' called out a long list of boring things for the other to do while she was gone; he could only assume that she was the other's mother. The other voice was different, sweet and flowing, and obviously belonged to a younger female. She kept calling out things like "Of course mother" or "Yes mother" from the top of the tower. When the older woman finally ended her long (and seemingly endless) list, he peeked around the corner of the tower, watching her disappear into the forest.

' _Well, that was…odd,'_ he thought, chuckling softly.

The list had a lot of dumb things on it like "wash the floors" and "make extra candles", but what really got Jack's attention was what she said at the end of her list. She told her daughter in a rather firm voice **"** _DO NOT LEAVE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES."_ To him, this seemed like a rather odd command. Just like all the other times, the girl simply answered "Yes mother;" her response, however, sounded a little different than the ones before. It sounded so… _sad._

"Well that's it, curiosity wins this one," he thought aloud and began to attempt climbing the tower. The wind finally came back and then it lifted him up. "Oh, so _now_ , when I go somewhere for no real reason, you accompany me!" he joked. When Jack reached the top of the tower, he casually strode in; not expecting the shocking outcome that was to follow.

 _BONG!_

The sound suddenly echoed throughout the tower; everything went black.

* * *

' _Dizzy, I'm so dizzy,'_ Jack thought as he struggled to regain consciousness.

Everything was so blurry in the few moments he actually was able to open his eyes. He turned on his side to see someone standing in front of him, watching him, though he couldn't quite see what he, or she, looked like. All he had the strength to make out was gold, a lot of gold, all around him. He took one single breath and fell back into darkness.

* * *

' _How?! How could this be happening?'_ Rapunzel thought, as she paced the floor. She knew mother had warned her about the outside but she had never actually imagined someone would be able to find her, much less get into the tower itself! She stopped and glanced over at the strange white haired boy sleeping peacefully on the other side of the room. He didn't really look like what her mother had described the outsiders as; he actually looked normal. Not that she knew what normal really looked like, but she had read fairytale books, and he looked a lot like what it had described as townsfolk.

' _WHAT ABOUT WHEN HE WAKES UP?!'_ She thought in the sudden realization that he couldn't stay asleep forever.

He had already begun to have short moments of hazy consciousness. She panicked the first time he opened his eyes; until she realized that he was so out of it he couldn't even talk. He seemed to be about her age, but she wasn't really sure considering she had never seen another person, other than her mother, in her life. She remembered when he climbed through her window, (how he got up there, she'll never know) and just walked in. He probably expected it to be so easy to take her; that she wouldn't even put up a fight.

Pascal (Her only friend) hopped on her shoulder to inspect their newest guest. Rapunzel looked at her lizard friend questioningly. Pascal only shrugged. She had used her hair to secure the boy across from her, so that he wouldn't be able to hurt her. She had probably only won the first round because he hadn't seen it coming. Besides, who would expect her weapon to be the one she had been about to cook with two minutes before?

She looked back at him lying on the carpet floor. Her mother would be back in a week and she had to show her that she could handle herself. It didn't matter what he tried. When he woke up, she'd be ready for it.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Author's note- hello to anybody who likes my fanfiction, just wanted to say thanks**_

When Jack awoke, it took him a moment to figure out what was going on. He was still in the same tower he flew into. He began to try and remember exactly what had happened. He flew up, walked through the window, and…..darkness. He soon became aware of his other problems. His head was throbbing, and his wrists and ankles were bound together with….. _hair?!_ He started to struggle against the binds when he realized the worst of his situation. His staff was gone. Since the day he was raised from the lake, he couldn't remember a moment where he didn't have it safely in hand. Jack was about to see if there was anything nearby that he could use to free himself, when a familiar voice he had heard earlier that day came from the darker side of the room.

"Stru-struggling is pointless,"1 she spoke. Jack could see her silhouette in the shadows. She was hiding from him, and he could hear the uncertainty in her voice. Nevertheless, he didn't speak out of pure shock that someone was addressing him directly…and she wasn't a spirit. All he could do was sit there with wide eyes, staring in her direction. This may have been the best day ever; if it weren't for the fact she was holding him against his will, and had taken his staff.

There was a long silence. Then, even though he knew the obvious answer, he just had to ask and make sure this wasn't a delusion he was having. "C-can you…see me?"6 He asked, star-struck. The girl in the shadows seemed a bit taken back by this. After another moment of silence, she slowly stepped out of the shadows. When Jack saw her, he was even more wide-eyed than before. The girl he was staring at was…gorgeous to say the least. She had bright green eyes and…apparently she was the source of all that… _hair!?_ Completely ignoring his question before, she walked up to him. "Who _are_ you, and _how_ did you find me?"2 She asked in a firm tone. He stared at her dumbfounded. "Uuuuhhhh….excuse me?" He asked. She stepped closer to him with her weapon…no, her frying pan in hand.

' _Well, at least I know the source of the headache,'_ he thought.

"WHO ARE YOU AND HOW DID YOU FIND ME?"3 She spoke again, with her voice a bit more confident, and demanding. Without thinking, he kept staring, noticing that she could see the confused and very shocked look on his face. "I'm um…J-Jack…Jack Frost." he said as he tried to keep from stuttering over his words. She looked at him as if he was crazy, or, at least, that he thought _she_ was stupid.

"Okay, jokester, now what's your _real_ name?" She asked. His shock soon turned to irritation and more confusion. How could she see him if she had no belief that that's who he was? "That IS my real name," he stated more loudly. He watched as she tensed up and backed away with fear. It was as if she thought he was going to attack her, despite his current situation. She shook off her fear and went back to her battle pose, frying pan above her head, and ready to strike. "Okay, fine, _Jack Frost_ , how did you find me?" She demanded. The obvious sarcasm in her voice when she said his name was enough to show that she didn't believe him. "I came upon your tower by accident, okay? If you'll just let me go, I'll be on my way," he answered. This statement couldn't be farther from the truth. Now that he knew someone, other than another spirit, could actually see him, he had a feeling he wouldn't be leaving for awhile. He only said that in an attempt to gain his staff back, but, judging by the expression on her face, he could tell she wasn't fooled by his words.

"Yeah, nice try; I know why you're really here. So, why don't you just give up?!" He looked at her with a look saying 'seriously'. "Okay, look, I don't know who you are, or how you can even see me, but um miss…?" "Rapunzel," she finished. He stared back at her, and began laughing uncontrollably. "What, ha-ha-ha, kind of parent, ha-ha-ha, names their child, ha-ha, Rapunzel?" he laughed. She stared back at him as he went into hysterics. "Oh yeah, well what kind of parent names their child after fictional character?" she spat back. Jack immediately, withdrew his laughing, and gained an angry, hurt, and slightly offended look on his face. Rapunzel had the same face on as she stared back at him. The room suddenly got noticeably colder. "So…what did you plan to do with my hair anyway? To cut it, sell it?" She asked. His angry expression gained a hint of confusion. "Pardon me?" "Don't think I don't know why you're here!"

' _She thinks I'm going to take her hair?'_ He puzzled.

"I only want out of it, other than that, I could care less about your hair!" He protested. She looked back at him with a softer look. "Wait…you don't want my hair?"4 She questioned, hoping he was telling the truth. "What in the world would I _do_ with your hair?" She looked at him, more focused. "You're…telling the truth,"5 she asked. " _YES…_ sure, it's freakishly long, but that doesn't mean random strangers are going to come in and take it from you!" He watched as she narrowed her eyes at him, trying to spot any dishonesty in his own eyes. Then she turned around and started whispering to her pet lizard (Which Jack had only just noticed sitting atop her shoulder). He watched as the little guy actually answered back to her comments with head gestures and hand movements. After a while of them 'talking', she turns around, and approaches him slowly. He couldn't help but lean back as she came closer to his face. After a long moment, without looking away from him, she started unraveling her hair from his wrists and ankles. He slowly rises to his feet and stares at her, waiting to see who would make the first move. They stood there for what seemed like minutes. "You're free to go, get out, and don't come back," she broke the silence and tried to sound intimidating. "Um, I don't mean to alarm you, but I'm not leaving without my staff." Her eyes widened as if she had just made the worst mistake of her life in letting him go. But she backed up and pulled his staff out from a corner near by, watching him carefully. She backed away further and, for a moment he thought she wasn't going to give it back. When she felt she was at safe distance, she hesitantly threw his staff across the room. He knelt down to pick it up, refusing to take his eyes off hers. Then he turned, and flew out the window.

But he didn't leave…

* * *

1-5, direct quotes from Tangled

6, direct quote from Rise of the Guardians


	4. Chapter 4

Rapunzel watched in horror as Jack, with no hesitation whatsoever, jumped out to his death. Without thinking, she darted to the window; expecting to see a gruesome sight as she looked toward the bottom of the tower. Shockingly, as her eyes scoured the perimeter below, she found no evidence that he had met such a terrible fate. Breathing heavily, she searched below for a body.

' _Nothing…he just…disappeared?!'_ She tried to slow her breathing _._

She stepped away; half panicked, and looked back at Pascal who was sitting on the countertop with his mouth open at what had just occurred. So many things were running through her mind that she failed to notice the trails of frost creeping their way through the window and up to the ceiling. Rapunzel ran her hands through her hair, trying to comprehend the possibilities of what might have happened to the boy before he hit the ground.

Although she had not seen it, Pascal quickly noticed the climbing frost. He hopped around, in an effort to alert his panicking friend, who was now pacing the floor and mumbling to herself. He was about to give up when his tail flicked over and knocked over her bottles of paint. She spun her head over to the noise as Pascal began to wave at her while pointing upwards.

Rapunzel looked up, with wide eyes, in wonder, to see trails of frost meeting at the center of the ceiling. Once the trails had all met, they burst into hundreds of white, lacey snowflakes. She gasped as they fell down, one softly landing on her nose. She had read about snow, but never before had she seen it or imagined it would look so beautiful. She looked around her; remembering the boy had claimed he was the mythical being from her fairytale books. Her mother had always told her that fairytales were fine; as long as she knew they did not, and could not exist. Could her own mother be wrong?

While contemplating this thought, she sensed a presence behind her. She didn't know how, but somehow she knew who was standing behind her. Slowly turning around she came face to face with the same boy she saw jump out her window; _Jack Frost_. She stared uncomfortably for a second or two, at the bright blue eyes watching her. He had this silly smile on his face, but it soon faded as she fell back in shock, knocking over everything behind her. Realizing how close she was, she made a desperate attempt to gain as much distance as possible between her and him.

"Y-You…How? I-I saw you jump out my… _How?!_ " She panicked.

* * *

Pascal watched nervously as the mysterious winter spirit tried to calm the frantic girl, but before the boy could even get close, she held her pan out defensively, silently daring him to make another move. The boy held out his hands in surrender hoping to show he was not a threat.

"Please, I don't mean to frighten you. Do you believe I'm Jack Frost now?" He teased; regardless of Rapunzel's serious shaking and weapon, ready to knock him out in a heartbeat. She forced herself to lower her pan and calm her breathing. "Y-Yes, I do," she stuttered, noticing he was waiting for an answer. "But my only concern, is why are you here?" She asked in hopes of uncovering his intentions. He only stared down at the floor. "Well?" She insisted.

"Well, here goes nothing," he sighed, and began to explain everything: from him stumbling upon the tower, to him being invisible to everyone but her; he explained _everything._

By the time he was done, Jack was looking up from the floor and back to Rapunzel. Somehow, he had managed to gain her full attention. She had lowered her weapon, er…frying pan, and was now sitting across from him with a half pitying, half curious expression on her face. He nervously glanced back at the floor. "Do you believe me?" He asked. It took a moment for her to snap out of her thoughts and notice he was finished with his tale. She shifted uneasily in her seat. He could only sit there and hope she would believe everything he told her. He didn't want her to tell him to leave. He didn't want to be alone again.

"I believe you," she finally answered in a soft voice after a tight silence. He jolted his head up, trying to contain his pure joy for her sake. Pascal was lying in her lap, waiting for some person to make the next move. Jack watched as she pushed her hair behind her ear and inhaled sharply. "So…what now?" She asked. He thought about this. From what he had already experienced, he knew the hair was a rather touchy topic for her, for reasons he may never know. "When's the last time you went outside?" He finally asked, noticing that the tower didn't exactly have any doors. She looked up and Jack could see she was trying to hide the pain in her expression and in her words. "Well…you see I've never…left….before," she tried to say this as best she could without keeping eye contact. He looked at her with a look of pure shock and horror on his face. For a moment Jack thought he might have a heart attack. " _N-NEVER?!"_ He gasped in disbelief. "Y-your joking right?!" He watched as her eyes grew sadder. "No, my feet have never touched the ground before," she said in a dull tone. "But it's alright. I have everything I will ever need right here," she tried to reassure him. "I'm safe here."

He couldn't help but feel sorry for her. She had _never_ even touched the ground before? _Never_ even left the inside of her home?! It was already clear, through her emotions, that she wanted to go outside, so why doesn't she? He remembered back on what her mother had told her before leaving. Her mother was the one making Rapunzel stay in this tower. He had seen mothers keep their children close and away from the dangers of the outside world out of protective instincts, but never had he heard of someone who was about his age that had never once gone outside. That would also mean that, unless another person lives here as well, she has never seen another person before, other than her mother.

 _She was alone, just like him._


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's note: Thank you to storygirl99210, for being the first to favorite my story; I really appreciate it :) I hope everyone likes my story, I am open to any compliments and criticisms, but please be gentle with it. I will update often; I don't like to wait very long, so I won't make others. Thanks bye!**

* * *

 _ **5 hours later…**_

" _Seriously?!_ _You did that?!"_ Rapunzel exclaimed as she fell to the floor laughing. Jack had been telling her about a prank he had pulled on the local market dealer just last winter. The man had some ridiculous prices on all his foods. When a hungry little girl reached out to grab an apple, he snapped at her, making the girl cry. So Jack decided to cause a bit of trouble; grabbing the foods and juggling them in the air. The market dealer screamed when he saw his produce spinning through thin air and ran all the way down the market place, shrieking that his foods were haunted.

Over the past hours, Rapunzel and Jack had become well acquainted with each other. Passing time with stories about their past, and Jack telling Rapunzel about the outside world. It was nothing like what she had been told by her mother. Either that or he was lying to her about its true nature. The world seemed like a fictional fairytale land, the way he described it. A while after they had both settled down, he began to comment on the vast paintings that spread across the walls on every side of the room. For a moment she thought he was going to criticize her art, but was astonished when he stated that it was the most beautiful artistry he had ever laid eyes on. He was funny, kind, and easy going. Were all people like this? No! Her mother had told her of the times she saw other people, and how ruthless and cruel they were. This boy was different though; a small ray of light in a dark and unforgiving world, just like her. Only he didn't have to worry about the dangers as much, since nobody could see him.

"So what do you do for fun around here?" He asked, clearly bored by the look on his face.

"Well I do chores, paint, read, play guitar, knit, sew, and…" He stopped her.

"Whoa! Slow down. What did you say?"

"When?" She asked.

"At the beginning"

"I said chores"

He gaped at her as if she had said the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard. Didn't everyone do chores? Sure she more or less did chores most of the day, but it couldn't be that bad, could it? She never liked them when she was little, but as she got older it was one of the most effective things for her to do with her time. It also displeased her mother to see the tower in bad shape. The last time it was a mess, her mother lectured her for hours on end about the importance of cleanliness. She never wanted to go through that again.

"You're kidding right? Chores…for fun?!" He laughed at her silly statment, until he started to turn red. They both laughed together till they couldn't breathe. Apparently he had a very different thought on how to entertain himself, but, then again, he had the whole world to play in with no worries. Of course he's got a better sense of fun!

"Here, I'll show you how to really have a good time." He spoke with a mischievous smile on his face that frightened her a little. She turned as Pascal jumped off her shoulder, seemingly in a hurry to escape. As she turned back Jack was gone. Her eyes darted around in hopes of locating him but, to her alarm, he was nowhere to be seen. She was about to panic when something hit her in the back, causing her to yelp in surprise. It was cold; _really_ cold. She spun around to see her attacker holding a ball of snow in his hands, and the same smile on his face. Suddenly snow began to fall in her room, forming piles around her. She knelt down and ran her hands through the sparkling substance, slightly wincing at contact. Then, as if she somehow already knew the rules of the game, she scooped some up in her hands and formed a ball similar to the one Jack held. She stared at it for awhile, and then, without warning, chucked it at the boy, hitting him directly in the chest.

"Wow, impressive for you to hit the master of snow with such accuracy on your first try!" He applauded before forming another snowball and throwing it at her. She attempted to dodge, but failed as it hit her in the face, causing her to shudder at the cold impact.

"All right, that's it! This is war!" She shouted, with a smile innocently spreading across her face.

Before either of them knew it, her home was piled with snow and was growing increasingly cold. Pascal ran for cover as the two young teenagers fought, viscously pounding each other with snow. This was the most fun Rapunzel had ever had in her life, but she soon began to shake uncontrollably. She had never experienced winter before and so she had nothing to wear to protect her from the cold. As soon as she made the first sneeze, Jack decided it was time to stop. Her nose and cheeks were a light shade of pink and her fingers were red and numb.

"That…was fun!" She gasped from exhaustion.

"We should probably give it a rest." He proposed, as he saw the faraway look in her eyes.

"Yeah…that would probably…..be…"

Then, without warning, she collapsed and let darkness cloud her vision.

* * *

Jack jumped to Rapunzel as her feet gave in; catching her before she hit the ground. He placed his hand on her forehead, but quickly extracted it, coming to the realization that she was running a deep fever. He mentally scolded himself. They had been playing for hours in the freezing cold, and he hadn't even stopped to consider that she might get sick. Pascal stood in front of them, narrowing his eyes at the winter spirit as if blaming him. Jack just rolled his eyes, and picked Rapunzel up off the ground and carried her bridal style to her room. Setting her gently on the bed, he chose to leave, so she could sleep, and come back tomorrow before she woke up to take care of her. He wasn't sure why, but he felt a deep connection with this girl. Maybe it was just because she was the first one to see him in about one hundred years. He tried to push these strange feelings aside as he made his way to the window. It was dark; they had been playing all day. He sighed from drowsiness and let the wind tug him away. After a bit, he looked down and realized the shortage of trees and increase of houses. Finally out of the forest, he relaxed and gazed up at the moon. As he was carried off towards Arendale to bestow a late blizzard, he smiled unknowingly.

' _Be_ s _t day ever'_ He thought before he let himself descend into a deep, dream filled sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

Jack slowly opened his eyes to see the area the wind had put him down to sleep. There was a long array of trees and flowers that were budding and steadily popping up in random spots to signify the coming of spring. The wind curled around him, beckoning for him to sleep for a few more minutes. He laid his head back down on the branch, but swiftly bolted up when a flood of memories from the previous night came in. There were almost no words to express the pure joy that was coursing through his veins the night before, and part of his conscience was debating if any of it actually happened. Racing back through the forest to locate the tower, he let the wind practically shove him through the air at the speed of an arrow. It was relatively difficult to find, since the tower was practically in the middle of nowhere, _and_ hidden by a mountain side. After fifteen minutes of flying, the curtain of vines in which he had entered the first time was in sight below.

Landing lightly in the clearing, he parted the curtain of vines to reveal the entrance. As he came up to the tower he stopped and looked back at the sky. It was already morning, but the sun had not yet climbed high enough to be seen over the wall. Did this mean Rapunzel would still be asleep? He wanted to get there before she awoke, so he didn't startle her too much. He had seen how easily she was scared, _and_ how quick she was to react in a dangerous situation. He reached up and felt the bump on his head from where the frying pan had struck him. No doubt it was red, but fortunately his mess of hair covered any evidence of damage. He wouldn't want Rapunzel to see him like that. He stopped; why did he care what she thought of him? He shrugged it off and leaped up to the tower window. As he entered, he accidentally tipped over a potted plant right at the entrance. He winced, and listened for any evidence that someone had woken up. When he heard nothing, he sighed in relief and continued his way inside.

With all the excitement the other day, he had little time to acknowledge the beautiful artwork that Rapunzel had spread across the walls. Every inch of the tower was consumed with detailed paintings and pictures. It wasn't often that he turned his focus on such normally boring things, so that only proved how skilled an artist she was. However, the other day, when he had mentioned how amazing they were, she didn't appear to take his complement seriously. For some reason, though he couldn't quite put his finger on it, the vast paintings reminded him of Corona. It may have been the amount of bright colors, such as yellow and orange that gave them such a distinction.

As he walked up the staircase leading to her bedroom, he heard a small squeak-like noise behind him. Turning around he searched for the source of the sound. He looked around confused, until he heard it again, and instinctively glanced down to see Pascal at his feet.

"Oh, hey there little guy, come to kick me out?" He quietly laughed, but then gave a perplexed stare when the lizard gave what seemed to be a devilish grin.

* _BONG*_

He dropped to the ground with a thud, and fell into darkness, making no effort to remain conscious.

* * *

 _ **Ten minutes earlier…**_

The birds were getting warmed up outside, and Rapunzel could faintly hear their singing. She slowly opened her eyes and gazed up at the ceiling. It was dark and cold, even though she was under the covers of her bed. She had the most amazing night she'd had in her whole life. She sat up and tried to remember the boy from her dreams; he was so kind and funny. What was his name again? A little voice came into her mind which she assumed to be a memory from her dream. ' _I'm um…J-Jack…Jack Frost'._ She smiled at this. She'd dreamt about the winter spirit from the story books on her shelf. Part of her wished she hadn't woken up; it all seemed so real to her.

She rose from the bed, and decided to get an early start on her chores. She turned to the side table next to her and began to rummage through the drawer for a match to light her candle with. When she successfully found the matchbox, she lit the candle and watched as the room nearly exploded with light. It was only then that she saw Pascal at the foot of her bed, but instead of his usual morning grumpy face, he was tiredly smiling, as if he knew something. After a moment she shrugged it off, figuring that he probably just had a good night sleep.

She stood up and tried to rub the sleep out of her eyes. _Wait_ , when had she gone to sleep? She couldn't quite recall anything that happened last night except her dream. She didn't even remember if she got anything done yesterday. ' _What if…?'_

She was jostled from her thoughts when the sound of something breaking rang from down stairs. Pascal jumped off the bed and headed out to investigate the noise, while Rapunzel stood deathly silent. Slowly, she grabbed her frying pan from the other side of her bed and made her way to her doorway. She stepped so quietly, as if the first sound she made would be her last. As she came closer, her heart jumped as she heard a voice talking. Before she could see who it was, she slammed her frying pan through the air in defense.

She clenched her eyes shut until she heard the sound of someone, or _something,_ fall to the ground. As she opened her eyes to see who or what was lying in the floor, she became breathless. It was the boy from her dreams! It was Jack! Meaning all that had happened yesterday wasn't a dream, it actually happened. Dropping her pan to the floor, she gasped. Pascal was on the other side, with a mischievous look on his face. Rapunzel looked at the boy with wide eyes, before hooking her arms under his, and dragged him onto her bed.

As the unconscious spirit stirred, she let her thoughts run a million miles an hour through her head. He wasn't going to be happy; that was the second time she'd knocked him out. After taking a moment to breath, she looked back at him. His hand was searching for something, and she quickly remembered the staff he was carrying. Racing back to the stairs, she picked it up off the floor and headed back to place it on the bed. She nearly screamed as he snatched it, causing an instant blanket of ice to form on her bed. He curled up into a ball and held the strange stick close, and for a moment, she thought it was kind of cute. Standing on the end of the bed, she ran her fingers through her hair.

This was going to be a _long_ day.


	7. Chapter 7

_Jack walked through the silent streets. It was so quiet; the once joyous kingdom was now over run with sadness and unheard mourning. The market was dark and abandoned and the people stayed in their homes; refusing to let the light of the moon shine through their windows. A gloomy mood was looming over everything. What had happened here? What was everyone so upset about? He proceeded to stroll down the path, until something darted behind him. Jumping, he let out a blast of ice in the direction of the figure that made its way throughout the shadows._

 _Running through the stone pathways and houses, he chased the mysterious shadow until it came to a halt in front of the palace, which looked old and worn from centuries of neglect. He watched as what appeared to be a woman-like figure emerged from the darkness, and looked to both sides of her to see if anyone was watching. Her clothes were stained and worn, and she wore a black cape and hood that hid her face. Immediately, she began to climb the wall with incredible skill; making her way up to a balcony above her. Hesitantly, he followed her up the palace walls. The woman pushed herself over the edge of the railing to safety and stared into the chamber. It was empty and cold, with cracks all along the walls. The bed curtains were torn and tattered and darkness seeped through every corner of the room._

 _As he looked around the hooded figure, he saw what seemed to a broken, empty crib. He turned back towards the sky, as dark shady clouds blocked the moonlight and turned the kingdom pitch black. When he looked back into the room, the woman was standing at the end of the crib. He stared, baffled and slightly chilled (which was an abnormal feeling for him), as she began to sing an odd lullaby, causing a strange golden light to emerge from the empty crib._

' _Flower gleam and glow,_

 _Let you power shine_

 _Make the clock re…'_

 _Suddenly, she stopped singing and the magical glow dissipated from the crib. He wasn't sure why, but his heart skipped a beat as the woman silently stood there with her black cape slightly waving from the draft that blew in from the outside. The room now gave him an eerie feeling, and he could have sworn it got darker._

 _He stepped closer to her with caution to see what had happened to cause the sudden stillness. He reached out towards her to pull off the hood that hid her face, but as he came closer, a bony white hand snapped out and held a firm grip on his arm. He screamed out from the sudden shock, and dropped his staff to the floor. He bolted in an attempt to pick it up but the attacker held tighter and yanked him away from it. No matter how hard he thrashed around, the woman stood firm and stiff. He looked back at her; eyes wide with fear, and realized that her head was still turned away; hiding her identity. Striking out with his other hand, he ripped the hood off to reveal the attacker's face._

 _Her head snapped towards him, with anger burning in her soulless unfeeling eyes. Her skin was as white as chalk and she looked as if she were falling to pieces. Jack felt another scream get caught in his throat, as the nearly inhuman woman stared into his eyes. She held so tightly with her nails digging into him, that a thick red liquid began to slide down his arm. Tears were freely falling by now, as he cried out in pain and fear._

' _Jack? Jack?! ' A voice called out in the back of his mind._

 _Suddenly the old woman's features became distorted and her skin began to dissolve into dust. There was a new found fear in her own expression, as she desperately tried to hang on to life. His eyes dilated until there was only a thin rim of blue as the adrenaline was pumping through his veins. He stood, watching in horror, as her skin started to blow away; leaving an old skeleton crumpling to the floor._

' _Jack!' The voice repeated itself._

 _He tried to scream out but found the darkness consuming him, making him unable to breath. He stood shaking with fear, in the middle of the room, struggling to breathe. The old, fading castle then began to crumple into dust around him, just as the woman had, and blow away. They dissipated until there was nothing but darkness surrounding him, and a voice shouting in the back of his mind._

* * *

Jack let out a blood curdling scream and sat bolt upright. He heard a strange panting noise and soon realized it was his own breathing. He could feel sweat forming and, for the first time ever, he was burning up. His mind was so consumed with fear that he failed to notice the tears threatening to flow over the brims of his eyes. The dream was so realistic; he almost swore that if he checked his arm, the wound from where her nails pierced through would still be there. He steadied his trembling when he noticed, in relief, that his actual surroundings were a lot friendlier than that of his nightmare.

"Jack?"

He jumped; nearly falling off the bed. His shaking ceased all together when he realized who was sitting next to him with a worried expression on her face. Rapunzel was sitting in a chair next to him, with a book in her hands and Pascal in her lap. She seemed to study him carefully, noticing the now distant fear in his eyes.

"You were having a nightmare. I tried to wake you, but you didn't seem to want to, so I pulled up a chair and waited." She stated worriedly.

He was about to answer back when he noticed his staff was missing, and began to panic in its absence. He started to frantically search the covers for it until Rapunzel held out a hand and stopped him. She bent down, reached under the bed, and held it out to him. Why would she take his staff again?! For a moment, he stared at the item in her hands with a possessive look.

"I wouldn't have taken it from you, but when you began to have that nightmare, you sort of began to freeze my room." She explained with a shy and slightly sheepish look.

It was only then that he clicked into his complete surroundings. The room looked like a freezer; the walls were climbing with thick layers of ice and the bed he was laying on was coated in frost. The ceiling was teeming with icicles, and it was lightly snowing. This would be a fairly normal setting for him, if it weren't for the fact that they were inside. That's when he noticed Rapunzel's odd appearance. She was covered from top to bottom in layers of different clothing; which failed to do much for her thin frame, since they weren't designed for winter weather. Even her hair coiled around her to provide extra warmth. She was pale and shivering from top to bottom, with snowflakes getting caught on her eye lashes and hair. Great, he practically froze her to death. She was shaking so bad that he couldn't quite tell if she was angry or just cold; or _both._ He looked at her sheepishly, afraid she would be upset and ask him to leave after what he did to her room.

"S-Sorry, I didn't mean to do that", he tried to explaining when a sharp pain came from his head.

Jack reached up and touched his head, which was hurting worse than before. As he brought his fingers down to examine them, he noticed small bits of blood. It hadn't taken him long to figure out that she had hit him in the head; _again_. He watched her cheeks flush with embarrassment, as she grabbed a bowl of water and rag that were sitting on the frozen countertop next to him. He was shocked at her kindness when she sat down next to him on the bed and started to nurse the wound. He wasn't used to receiving any attention at all, let alone someone caring for him.

"I am _so_ sorry about that! I woke up this morning and everything seemed normal, so I passed what happened last night off as a dream. Then I heard the flower pot break down stairs, so I naturally thought it was someone here to get me and then I slammed my pan down without even thinking to see who it was and…"

He listened as she rambled on and on, stopping to apologize every three sentences or so. He took notice that, as she got further into her 'sorry speech'; she had a tendency to mumble towards the end; which she also often apologized for. She seemed so tense at times; as if every word or action could result in a bad consequence.

When she was done nursing the injury, she stood up and motioned him to follow her out of the room. As he came closer to the doorway, a deep sweet fragrance filled the room. She led him to the table where a cake was sitting; freshly baked. She almost shoved him into the chair, before heading to her own. She sat down and scooted closer; waiting. He looked at her with a blank expression before looking down at the cake in front of him. She was giving him cake? He'd never received a gift before. He stared down at it; it looked and smelled delicious. Chocolate was spread all across it and strawberry sauce was dripping off the sides. He looked back at her and pointed at it; silently asking if the delectable treat was for him.

"Go ahead; this is my way of saying sorry for hitting you on the head…again", she assured him.

Pascal hadn't needed to be asked; he just dove right in, devouring his piece of cake. Jack took the fork and dug into the cake, examining it closely before hesitantly sticking it in his mouth. His eyes widened at the chocolaty impact. It was the most amazing thing he had ever stuck in his mouth. Actually, one of the only things he ever stuck in his mouth. Spirits never really needed to eat, but it didn't mean they never ate. Santa, or North to some of his dear friends, ate a lot. On Christmas day, he could eat about a hundred cookies and, whatever was left, he stored up for the rest of the year.

He turned his thoughts back to Rapunzel, who was sitting at the other end of the table, fiddling around with a hopeful look on her face.

"How is it?" She asked nervously.

She had only asked because he zoned out from the first bite, with an unreadable expression on his face. He hadn't even bothered to continue chewing. Instead, he just sat there, silent. It took a few moments before he looked back up at her to answer.

"That…was…amazing" he answered matter-of-factly.

Her eyes lit up with happiness.

"Really?! So we're good about the whole frying pan to the head issue?" She asked hopefully.

He started to dig in, as if the cake were the most important thing on earth.

"Rapunzel, we were good from the start! I could have gotten knocked out ten times and not cared. You didn't have to do this." His words were slightly muffled by the cake in his mouth.

She sighed from relief and leaned back in her chair. For a moment, _he_ felt like he was getting a taste of his deepest dream and desire in real life. He couldn't believe that she would go through so much trouble, just to make sure she was forgiven. This was unmistakably a new found friendship and there was no doubt that this would turn into something more; _whether they knew it or not_. No one quite knew what to say after that, so they just sat there eating cake; the spirit, the lizard, and the girl.

 **Hi, author's note:**

 **If you like the story then please let me know in the comments. If you don't like it, you're welcome to share that to, just please be gentle about it. Also, if there is anything in particular that you want to happen in the story, then don't hesitate to let me know and I will be open to requests :) Bye!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Mother Nature:**

She'd known Jack Frost could be irresponsible at times, but to neglect his duties to the balance of nature for a whole two days was out right wrong. The snow should have moved south by now, and he remains in an area of early spring time. She ran through the thick forest, towards his location, sending trails of flowers behind her with every step. You know things have gotten bad when one of the eldest spirits actually has to track down a fellow spirit down; _especially_ Mother Nature. She slowed to a trot when she came into the clearing that he was supposed to be in but, as she looked to both sides, she realized that he wasn't in the clearing; rather he was behind a curtain of vines that was in clearing. Sure enough the white hair boy backed out of the vines, looking the opposite direction from her, with an oddly wide smile on his face. As he backed up, he backed straight into her. She watched him tense in the realization that he had backed into someone. He slowly turned to face her and she gave a disapproving look.

"Uh…is there something wrong Miss Nature?" He asked nervously, meaning he knew why she was here.

She crossed her arms and stared down at him like a mother who was scolding her child.

"I don't know, _is there_? Tell me, would I be here confronting you directly if there weren't?" She questioned.

He rubbed his hand on the back of his neck and laughed nervously. She would have continued, but there was something different in his eyes, compared to the last time she had seen him. All at once she understood. She knew that gleam; she had seen it hundreds of times over the centuries. He was in love with someone. It definitely explained his sudden disappearance, and the way he almost kept turning his head back towards the vine curtain proved it. Had somebody been able to see him? She pretended not to notice, but her face softened and she lightly smiled.

"It's alright; you can stay near here if you want. I know better than anyone that Corona is a beautiful and lively kingdom. Just don't let it get in the way of your primary duties, as the winter bringer"

She watched his nervous face turn up with a hint of obvious shock, then turn a bit confused. He knew she wasn't one to let most things go that easily, but he eventually took the bait as an opportunity to get out of trouble.

"O-kay?" He said.

"Until next time, Frost." She smiled and left in the other direction, leaving a very confused boy behind her.

* * *

 _ **Next day…**_

Rapunzel sat on her window, staring outside. She only did this when her mother was gone; it made her mother upset to know how badly she just wanted a taste of freedom from her lifestyle. The wind blew softly through her hair; carrying the scent of the waterfall with it. She inhaled the deep smell of nature around her and relaxed. This was a beautiful morning…unfortunately, most good things don't last.

"Good morning!"

An upside-down face emerged only inches from her own and she found bright blue orbs staring back at her. He was hanging; let his hair dangle below him. She was so shocked from the sudden appearance that she jumped and fell, however, instead of falling backwards into her tower, she found herself falling through the air.

This was it! This was how she was going to die! Out of all the cruelties in the world, she dies from her own stupidity. She was so unprepared that she didn't even have time to cry. All she could see was Jack and the horrified expression on her mother's face when she returned home. She was falling so fast that it felt like her insides were trying to catch up with her body. Squeezing her eyes shut, she braced herself for a hard and painful death but it never came…

She found her body slowing down, but she dared not open her eyes. Was death really this painless? Did it happen so fast that she missed it? No…someone had caught her before she hit the ground; and that someone was Jack.

"It's ok. You're safe now" He reassured her.

She still didn't open her eyes though. She wasn't sure how far down she had fallen, and for the moment, she didn't _want_ to know.

"I'm not safe; nor am I opening my eyes until I am in that tower."

She could've sworn she heard him give an irritated sigh, but let it slip by when she felt the oddest sensation. It was as if she was floating upwards; it felt nice to have him carrying her like that, in a really strange way. Soon she felt herself being set down and she could feel the familiar hard wooden floor below her.

 _Now_ she was safe.

* * *

For the past two days, Jack had been so focused with Rapunzel that he failed to do his job as the bringer of winter. He had left yesterday; around dusk, and just as he came to the clearing, he had come face to face with Mother Nature. She'd given him a good scolding, even though it hadn't lasted long. Her stare was all the words she had wanted to tell him aloud. He was so sure he would be standing there for hours, listening to her yell at him about forgetting his job but, after the first few sentences, when he looked back at her, she was smiling. This was not natural, for her mood to change so fast, but he saw it as one of her rare moments, when she didn't want to be angry; at least he hoped that was the case. As Mother Nature, she's been to places all over the world. Did that mean she knew about the hidden entry way? Probably; that place couldn't get anymore springtime than it already had. He'd seen her face for a split second when she stopped talking to him; it looked like she was noticing something. He didn't really want to think about it. If Mother Nature knew about Rapunzel, she might wind up telling the other spirits. There's no doubt if they knew someone his age could see him, they might want to investigate further to find out why. She was special, and she was _his_ friend; nobody else's. He stopped, finally unable to push away the feelings he had. Why was he sounding so greedy about keeping his friend? She was the first person to see him in one hundred years, but it was more than that. He just couldn't find the word to explain what he was feeling; it was so foreign to him. He had this constant urge to be near her all the time, and now, for some reason, he didn't care if everybody else were unaware of his existence; just as long as _she_ noticed him.

He forced all these feelings behind him as he finished bringing winter to all the places down south. Afterward, he left to go visit Rapunzel. He got up early to bring the snow, so that he could be ready to go and play by the time she was up. Shooting through the air, he made it to the tower.

She was sitting in the window, gazing outside with an almost longing look. It was no secret anymore that she wanted to go outside, but she was so loyal to her 'so called' mother that she forced herself to believe it was a horrible idea.

Deciding to cause some trouble, he landed on the roof; just out of sight. He could hear her humming; it was the sweetest thing that had ever crossed his ears. She was good at so many things but refused to believe so. He looked over the edge before dropping down right in front of her face.

"Good morning!"

He was hoping for a friendly little jump, and a laugh, but instead he got a shriek. She fell down off the ledge and began to plummet to earth, screaming. He dodged down to catch her at a speed he wasn't even sure was humanly possible. As he raced her to the ground, he barely passed her and caught her. They were hovering at least three inches of the ground and, though he didn't notice, he was crying at the stupid move he'd made which almost cost her life. He should've known better, from the previous times, that she wouldn't have reacted lightly to that kind of scare.

"It's ok. You're safe now." He reassured her; trying to hide the trembling in his voice.

He looked down at her. Her eyes were clenched shut and she was shaking, either from his cold skin or from the tremendous fall. This was also the closest she had ever been to the ground. He was going to set her down but stopped, knowing she would be more upset with him, and would think that he had done it on purpose; just to get her to the ground.

"I am not safe, nor am I opening my eyes, until I am in that tower"

He sighed, knowing that's exactly what she was going to say. He rose through the air, lifting them up to the tower. Rapunzel was holding tightly onto his neck and, for some reason…he liked it. He entered into the window and place her feet firmly on the floor. She opened her eyes and breathed in and out to calm the shock, before looking back at him. He bowed his head in shame, as he had a feeling she would get angry at him. She walked up to him and smacked him upside the head with a force he didn't know was possible for a girl with such a fragile frame. He flinched; it would've been different coming from Mother Nature or even Bunnymund, but it coming from her made it hurt more.

"That was for you almost making me lose my life." She stated…..

He lowered his head further. How could he have been so careless? Now she was mad at him. Heck! She probably hated him now! He waited for her to start yelling. She'd probably kick him out and refuse to ever see him again. This was a notion he was prepared to accept for his actions.

He was about to start apologizing, and beg her to give him a second chance, when a warm embrace wrapped around him. He jolted his head up from shock and looked down to see what caused the sudden impact. It was Rapunzel; she was hugging him and had her head buried into his chest. He never liked the warmth, but this was different. It was like a wave of everything he'd ever wanted since the first person walked through him one hundred years ago. To be seen; to have a family; to be _loved_. It took all the strength he could muster to stop himself from crying again in front of her. He watched as she lifted her head up to look at him with a smile on her face.

"And that was for saving it." She softly finished.


	9. Chapter 9

**Gothel:**

Two women sat at a table together talking; unnoticed by the guards nearby. To the citizens, they were just two young ladies having a nice break from the duties of home. It's not like they could possibly have done anything worth suspicion, right? Wrong, little did the guards and folk from the town realize the witches that sat among them.

"You can't keep this up much longer, Gothel. What's going to happen when she comes to be as old as you and realizes that you haven't aged a day? She's going to ask questions, that's what!"

Gothel stared back at her sister, in frustration. She was well aware that her flower would come to such a time and wonder about her mother's true intentions in hiding her. Rapunzel had already wanted to go outside as it is. If only she hadn't gotten her those infernal books; they were what was truly giving her flower hope that the outside world could be a good place. Better yet, she should have made her flower think that there were no other people than herself. Her dear flower would be coming to the age of defiance, which is nothing Gothel was prepared to deal with.

"I'll just…lock her up then; make sure that she has no way to get outside!"

Her sister scoffed at this.

"After all these years of building a connection with her, you're just going to throw it away and let the girl cry for the rest of her life at your betrayal and lies? I knew you were desperate, but I had no idea that cruelty was on your side!" She snickered.

It was true; trust would be much easier to handle compared to constant defiance which is exactly what she would receive if she broke the fake bond that she spent years to build up. However, she wasn't going to let her flower go that easy either. If that girl so much as got a glance at the people here, she would never return to the tower again. The people here were so kind; it made her sick to the stomach. Even though Rapunzel didn't grow up here, she still developed that trait, making her easy enough to handle obedience-wise. Still, that wouldn't stop her from leaving the tower in the future while Gothel was gone doing other things.

The thought of growing old and ugly terrified her, and, had she not been so careless in her attempt to not be spotted by the guards when they searched for the flower, she wouldn't even be having this problem or conversation. She would be returning to her flower after this talk was done, though her flower wouldn't know it. Her flower wouldn't see her until three or four days later. She had a magic cape that made her invisible, so she could head back to the tower and make sure that everything was running smoothly, and that Rapunzel wouldn't be getting any ideas about leaving anytime soon. Her sister was certain that sooner or later fate would catch up and Gothel was determined to prove her wrong. Her sister had lived just as long as her, without the power of the flower but at a price. She kept her hood covering her face, because of how old she had gotten. Gothel didn't just want eternal life, she wanted eternal beauty as well.

She was about to get up and leave when her dress caught on the side of the table and caused the corner of the table to scrape down her leg. Her sister watched in amusement, and Gothel growled at her.

"Its fine, I'll just have my flower heal it when I go home, along with my youth. With as clumsy as she is, I wouldn't be surprised if she had a couple wounds of her own to heal!"

Then an idea struck her like a ton of bricks, as if the answer to her problems was right under her nose; she just hadn't bothered to look.

"That's it! My flower can heal her own wounds; who's to say she cant replenish her own youth?! Yes!"

And with that, Gothel skipped away in high spirits, leaving her sister behind, shaking her head in disappointment.

"Dear sister, even I can't cheat death forever. You're only digging your grave deeper." She whispered and stood up to leave.

* * *

Gothel swung on the invisibility cape and walked through the blossoming thickets, to the tower. She started to ponder how she would get Rapunzel to do this. Could she tell her about her power to rejuvenate youth? She could simply tell her that she wanted to be with her forever, or maybe she could make her daughter afraid of death. That would be enough to at least make her dear flower consider it. Another thing that could be considered is if Rapunzel never aged, then maybe she could never be considered old enough to leave the tower and would stop babbling on about it. All these ideas seemed to please Gothel as she made her way to the curtain of vines.

She walked up to the tower and crawled through the secret entrance to the staircase, completely unseen. The path leading to the top was old and dusty with cobwebs practically blanketing the walls and corners. Rapunzel would have been required to clean this area as well, if it weren't for the fact that she didn't even know it existed. The floorboards creaked as Gothel walked to the doorway, peeping through the hole to check and make sure that everything was going well, but as she came closer, her heart stopped. _Voices_ , not _a_ voice, but _two_.

She stumbled back, there was a person with Rapunzel, and not just any person, a boy. She went back to the peep hole in an attempt to spot the intruder. When the boy came in sight, she gasped. This was not just any boy, he was a spirit. Her eyes narrowed with hatred, _no,_ after all this time she is not going to let a young spirit be her downfall! Most people wouldn't be able to see him, but, since Gothel was a witch, she had the ability to see the supernatural. The bigger question was how could Rapunzel see him?! How long had he been here? She thought back on Rapunzel's hair, and came up with the notion that the flower had given her that power. She studied the boy carefully, in an effort to identify him. If she could identify him, then she could hopefully pinpoint his weaknesses.

The feature that stood out more than the rest was his stark white hair that hung down above his eyes; his eyes, they were bright crystal blue, and he was barefoot with a stick in hand, which she could only assume was his weapon. All spirits had one specifically designed for their fighting style or past. His shirt was blue with frost crawling on it. _Wait,_ frost? She then began to list off any winter spirits she could think of, but soon found she didn't have to, when Rapunzel called out his name.

"Jack, could you grab that box of paints for me?" She asked.

 _Jack Frost_ , this could not be happening. The boy who was known for mischief and fun; the boy who, if seen by anybody, could have every girl crushing over him, was with Rapunzel. She watched as Jack darted to her aid and just stared as Rapunzel splattered paint over the walls. But, when she looked closer, she realized the real problem. Rapunzel wasn't falling for the winter boy, _he_ was falling for Rapunzel! It was more than obvious now that he wouldn't be gotten rid of that easily. Nevertheless, Gothel remained calm. If there was something she knew better than anyone, it was patience and planning.

She stared back at him, eyes glowing with an evil that she thought was lost years ago. She was certain of one thing. Jack would have to go. Spirit or not, he would sooner or later tell Rapunzel the truth about the outside world, and she would sooner see him die then lose her precious flower. With that she quietly walked down the steps and left with plans of vengeance burning in her mind. At this point, no one was safe.

* * *

 **Jack:**

Was there really any question about it? Rapunzel was the most amazing girl he had ever seen, and he'd seen a lot of girls over the course of a hundred years! She was so quick to forgive and, wow, did she look beautiful!

' _Wait_ , _don't think like that!_ ' He scolded himself.

He thought back on it; it was true. Any person who couldn't see that was crazy, but why was he feeling so odd when he said it? He couldn't understand why the first person he met would make him feel like this. He flew through the trees, spreading snow to all the different areas, until he came to another area of early springtime. He normally would have turned and went somewhere else but he decided to wait when a certain six foot bunny came into view. He was completely oblivious to the young spirit's presence, so, considering Jack had nothing more entertaining to do at the time, he decided to start a conversation with a bit of fun. He sent a cool blast of ice toward the unsuspecting rabbit, causing Bunny to shiver and making frost form on his thick coat of fur. Bunny froze in his tracks, _literally,_ and then he let out a long irritated groan to show he was aware who had sent the cold blow. He hated the cold and Jack knew it. For him, this was just another way to get attention.

"How's it going, cotton tail? Planting your baby chickens?" He snickered.

 **Bunny:**

Bunny turned with a angered glare. He hated when Jack would hang around, just to get under Bunny's skin. It was the start of Easter, for heaven's sake. Couldn't that infernal boy give him one bit of peace? He had to think of something quick just to make the persistent boy leave, but all words can have a powerful outcome.

"It would be going better if I couldn't see you along with the rest of the world." He shot back, momentarily happy at his fast comeback, but then watched as a short but noticeable pained expression came to the boy's face.

 **Jack:**

Jack felt his heart sink, before letting the anger boil up inside him. Sure, he and Bunny had been at odds in their conversations, but never had Bunny ever said something so cruel to him. The wind began to thrash around, and Bunny stood up, realizing how hurtful his words were, but, being so full of himself, made no attempt to justify them. Jack conjured up all the insults he could think of, but when he actually started to talk, he realized in the end how much he had not thought his words through.

"Well, I'm sorry that I don't pride myself in bribing kids; and, for your information, someone can see me! She's beautiful, and kind, and…"

He stopped when he saw the error in his words. Bunny was starring back at him; he was sure to tell the guardians about this newest occurrence. It was special that Rapunzel could see him without believing, and, sometimes, special could be dangerous to them; belief was a powerful thing and was not taken lightly on the guardian's part. Bunny just stepped forward with a serious look in his face; not for Jack of course, but for what he had said. He watched as Bunny pulled out a boomerang and ran his fingers along it; Jack gulped.

"You wanna come with me and talk about it mate?" He spoke with a firmness in his tone that Jack had never heard before. He turned to the wind in an effort to escape, but he wasn't even three inches into the air when a hand grabbed his hood and yanked him to the ground. He looked up and Bunny was towering over him with Jack's hood in one hand and a boomerang in the other, and, for the first time, though he would never admit it, Bunny was scaring him.

"Sorry mate. Hate to do this but I think it's about time you and I take a trip to the Pole." He said and lifted Jack to his feet before taking away his staff. He struggled to break free but Bunny had an iron grip on his arms. Bunny tapped his foot on the ground, making a large hole appear in front of them. Jack saw his staff laying on the ground; this was his last chance. He kicked his staff into the air and into his hands and, before Bunny could react, he shot a blast of ice against him, jumped into the air, and sped away. He heard Bunny shouting curses and chasing after him. He wasn't sure just how fast that mass of fur could hop but, at this point, he was determined not to find out.

* * *

After flying for countless minutes, he looked behind him to make sure Bunny hadn't caught up. He sighed and let himself practically be dropped to the ground. After almost killing Rapunzel, he now told one of the guardians about her. How many mistakes was he going to make in a week? He had to do something, _anything,_ to make sure that none of the guardians or any of the other spirits found out where she was. He wasn't sure what lengths they would go to protect the balance. He wasn't going to let them do anything to take away his only friend, or even meet her. She was already freaked out by Jack's sudden appearance; what would she think if a giant rabbit, a narcoleptic, a fat guy, and a hyperactive bird lady walked in on her? She was already scared enough, and he wasn't going to let them scare her more! He would protect her.


	10. Chapter 10

**Bunny:**

He watched as the winter spirit sped away to his escape.

"FROST! YOU COME BACK HERE RIGHT NOW OR I'LL…"

An endless string of threats and curses came but, to Bunny's dismay, they didn't seem to stop the boy. He hopped as fast as possible but the blow of ice gave that brat a head start. He couldn't help but think back on what Jack had said about this mystery girl. It was more than noticeable that he liked her and Bunny might have fallen over laughing at him if the situation itself wouldn't cause such major issues for him and the rest of the guardians. They needed to find out if this would pose any major threat to the balance cause, if it did, then they would need to act fast; but first they needed Jack, or Frostbite as Bunny would often call him, to lead the way to her. She obviously hadn't shown up on the globe because, if she had, North would have already called the rest of them to a meeting. She had to be about Jack's age for Frostbite to be talking about her like that and a girl that age who is able to see him is either special or a problem. Some witches were able to see spirits without believing; if she is a witch, then not only would she pose a threat but Frostbite would be in danger and he wouldn't even know it.

He passed tree after tree but soon the boy's smell faded and Bunny skidded to a halt trying to pick up on his scent. When he could smell nothing but fresh flowers, he knew that Frost was gone. He sank down in defeat and caught his breath. Either that kid was faster than him(which is something he found hard to accept) or he was just really desperate. Fine, if Frost was going to hide, he was just going to have to seek. While Jack did get away(this time) he didn't think about how easily a sensitive nosed Rabbit could track him down again and this time Bunny would have the element of surprise.

He shivered and looked down at his coat which now was wet from the melting frost. He made a mental note to get the staff as far away from Frostbite as possible to make things easier. He would hunt him down but, first, he needed to contact his fellow guardians to make them aware of this newest issue. North might not be too happy though; Christmas is only few weeks away and the yetis were already having problems as it is.

He hopped away to the Pole through his tunnels muttering about how cold he was going to be when he got there. Little did he or Jack understand the real danger that would befall them and the rest of the guardians.

* * *

 **North:**

The workshop was loud and crowded with yetis and elves preparing toy after toy and the large room was covered in beautiful Christmas lights everywhere. North, however, was humming in his sound proof office, making ice sculptures and other trinkets. He watched with a great sense of accomplishment when the toy rose into the air and rocketed through the room but, sadly, before the toy could make it to it's destination, a yeti swung open the office door, smashing the toy to bits.

"Phil! Vhy don't you ever knock?!" He shouted and knelt down to retrieve the pieces of his broken work.

"Bulethrou nek fulthrg!" Phil started speaking an odd language and North's eyes widened, somehow understanding the strange mutterings. He stood up and followed the yeti out of the room and looked to see Bunny next to the fireplace with icicles practically encasing him. Nevertheless, North gave a wide smile at his old friend's presence and stepped forward, enclosing him in a tight hug.

"Ah, my friend, vhat brings you here so close to Christmas?" He asked, beaming as Bunny tried desperately to break hold of his grasp.

" _Can't…breath_!" He gasped out and North released his hug and watched in amusement as the rabbit gasped for air.

"We…have a…problem!" Bunny gasped between breaths.

North's eyes narrowed with concern as he listened to what Bunny had to say. By the end, Bunny had controlled his breathing and gained a serious look.

"Vell, vhere is he?" North asked and Bunny tilted his head, not completely processing his question.

"Who?"

"The boy, of course!" He chuckled.

Bunny lowered his head trying to spit out the words caught in his throat.

"He…got away."

North leaned back in his seat in surprise that it took so much for the rabbit to admit he had failed to do something.

"Then I think ve should get him back."

North had a wide smile on his face as he stood up and walked to the storage closet and pulled out a red knitted sack. He went back and handed it to Bunny who raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"And I have the perfect vay to do it." He beamed.

* * *

 **Gothel:**

The aging woman stepped out of the swamp water and into the old abandoned cottage. Floorboards creaked, threatening to break under her, but she paid no mind. There didn't really need to be much planning or patience for what she was going to do. The answer to her problem was so simple she couldn't help but wonder how she hadn't thought of it earlier. She came into a rotting dusty room and rummaged through the cabinets inside. Her eyes gleamed when they fell upon the solution to her situation. She ever so carefully pulled out the small glass bottle and looked at the tag with a picture on it. The picture of a skull.

* * *

 **Author's note: Hey, hope you are all enjoying my story and sorry, I just had to put a cliffhanger there. So what do you think? Is the bottle poison for Jack or is it for something else? Please review, it would make me very happy. Also a thanks to the first person to follow! Your awesome! I will be open to requests on what you want to happen in the story. Thanks again, bye!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's note: Hey guys, yes I'm back already. I usually update once, sometimes twice a week. Hope you're all enjoying the story. Since the last chapter was a little shorter than usual, I am going to try and make this one a little longer. Also, if anyone is wondering why I don't specify their ages, its because in the movie Jack is actually 14, but I didn't want you all to be limited to that specific age. So Jack and Rapunzel can be anywhere from 14 to 18 years old, I'm leaving it up to you readers. Bye :-)**

 **One more thing, in the comment section, I will show up as Bribug. And yes I will try to respond to any comments.**

* * *

 **Rapunzel:**

For once, her birthday was drawing near and she wasn't just thinking about the lights. Her mind was telling her to obey her mother and stay in the tower. Her heart, however, was saying the exact opposite. If her mother said no again, would she be so bold as to ask Jack for help? She started thinking these things after he saved her from being dropped out of the tower. That had to have proved he could protect her from danger; but, if she asked, would he be willing to do it? She didn't want to be a hindrance to him but this was her dream. Even if it was dangerous, even if it would break her mother's heart, it couldn't hurt to have one taste of freedom from this tower; _right_?

She contemplated her feelings as she waited for her friend to come. He told her he would do his best to see her every afternoon or so, since he had winter duties in other places. He talks about how the children laugh and play in the snow with each other and how their mothers scold them to get back inside and she can't help but wonder, is it her mother or her friend that's lying?

She sat a little farther from the window, having learned her lesson last time from Jack's playful nature, and knit together a small bracelet. It was many shades of blue and white to represent winter. She wasn't sure if he'd even like it but she wanted to show she was happy to have some company other than Pascal and her mother. Not that they weren't good company, but one of them was a lizard and one was her mother. Jack was about her age and matched her more child-like side.

She knew her friend had arrived when an icy chill spread throughout the tower.

"Good day Punzie." His smile lit up the room and she giggled at the new nickname.

"Punzie huh?" "I like it" She laughed.

She was about to give him the newly made bracelet when she noticed something about his expression. He seemed… _tense_ , maybe even angry. Was he mad at her? Did she do anything to upset him?

"Hey, you ok?" She asked in a concerned tone.

"Y-Yeah, just really sore from giving so much winter today; it's nothing." He assured her.

He walked further inside but she could see him wince with almost every step. Was he hurt? She went up to him with a 'there's-something-you're-not-telling-me-face' and he leaned back as she came right up and examined him to find any dishonesty in his expression. If he really was hurting then she knew there was something she could do, but she was afraid to do it. What would he think if he knew about her hair? Could she actually trust him? What if…

"Punzie?" He interrupted her thought train. "It's just that I'm tired. Nothing else happened today"

She had seen him having the most noticeable pained looks when he walked on his right leg, so she decided to poke him on the right side of his stomach and, sure enough, he let out a small cry of pain and backed away.

"Just tired huh?" She questioned and he just stood silent with an innocent look on his face.

"Come with me," she sighed and took his hand and led him into her room. He followed without question and she had him sit down on the bed, across from her. She rummaged through the drawer and pulled out a bright silver brush and handed it to him. He stared confused at her and she pulled her hair onto the bed in handfuls. By the looks of it, this was the strangest behavior he'd ever seen but he still remained quiet and waited.

"Where is the wound?" She asked with a calm voice. She had already decided she would do this but it was still scaring her to no end. She was about to tell him the most important secret she ever had and she didn't know how he would react. He hesitated at her question but then slowly lifted his sweater to reveal a rather large bruise. She'd never seen any wound like it and she lightly ran her fingers over it making him wince.

"How'd this happen?"

He lowered his head and looked away from her indicating that someone, not something had probably done this to him. How could they?! Here was the only other person in the world she knew of that was actually good, and someone attacked him! She calmed her thoughts. There were more important things to think about right now, like the fact that he was still sitting across from her holding the brush with a confused look on his face.

"If I show you something, do you _swear_ not to tell?" She asked.

He stared at her then slowly nodded. She handed him her hair and he stared down at the two objects in his hands.

"You want me to…brush your hair?" He asked and she let out a heavy breath in frustration.

"Look, I know it sounds confusing but it'll help"

He looked at her and then at the brush and hair and then slowly ran the brush through her hair. She took a deep breath and sighed.

' _Well, here we go'_

* * *

 **Jack:**

He flew, through the trees, in pain. Apparently, just before he had gotten away, Bunny had hit him in his side with one of his boomerangs but failed to knock him completely to the ground. It was like a fire burning in his side that wouldn't die down. He even tried frosting over the wound with his staff, but all it did was numb it for a while and, after about twenty minutes, the pain would come back, ten times worse. He didn't dare touch the ground, knowing that every time he put his full weight on his feet, the wound would shoot a surge of pain through his body. How was he going to hide this from Rapunzel? She already thought the world was a horrible dark place as it was. If she knew he'd been attacked, she'd never even think about stepping a foot out of the tower ever again but he also promised he would visit in the afternoons when all the snow was given. He had to think of something soon because her tower was just up ahead. He could just tell her it was an accident; that he fell out of a tree or something, but, for some reason, he wasn't a very good liar around her. She had this stare that could see right through him and he didn't know what to do about it.

He rose above the cliff side and flew into the tower. His eyes scoured the perimeter for Rapunzel and found her sitting a good distance from the window, knitting. Despite the pain, he grinned.

"Good day Punzie." He said in a mock gentlemen voice.

He watched her head turn and her eyes sparkle with delight at his presence.

"Punzie huh?" "I like it!" She laughed and he started to laugh with her until a sharp pain erupted through him and he couldn't help but wince slightly. That stupid rabbit! He'd probably be out there trying to get him back if it weren't for the fact that, if they somehow caught him, they would find a way to make him lead them to Rapunzel and he was NOT going to take such a risk!

"Hey, you ok?" He looked up, glad that someone was actually noticing how he felt but, at the same time, he wished she hadn't asked. He was trying so hard to come up with a believable answer quickly that he stammered slightly over the first part of the sentence.

"Y-Yeah, just really sore from giving so much winter today; it's nothing." He lied.

He tried to walk forward and sit down. _Bad mistake_. He tried to ignore the protesting flares in his body, but he knew she had noticed when she started walking up to him with a serious look on her face. She came right up into his face and started her soul stare. He leaned back and did everything in his power to ignore it but her deep green eyes were locked right onto his icy blue ones. He knew he couldn't hold back much longer.

"Punzie? It's just that I'm tired. Nothing else happened today." He said in a desperate attempt to stop the eyes staring into the depths of his mind; reading it as if it were an open book.

He was determined to keep the wound a secret and stand his ground but then she did something he didn't expect; she _poked_ him, right on the bruise, and sent what seemed to be something like that of an electric wave through his entire body. He did everything he could to hold the outcome in but to his dismay let a small cry escape. It sounded even more pathetic aloud then it did in his head; probably due to how hard he was trying to keep it in. Rapunzel widened her eyes and arched her eyebrow with an 'I-knew-it' look and he stared at the floor, avoiding her eyes.

"Just tired huh?" She asked with a bit of triumph sounding in her voice.

He kept his eyes to the ground. Why could she see straight through him? She was so observant, she even knew exactly where the wound was. How was he supposed to explain this, or why he was so content on hiding it for that matter?

"Come with me." She sighed deeply and he wondered for a moment if she was irritated by him. He contently followed her upstairs into her bedroom and, when they got up there, she motioned for him to sit down. She was awfully caring and kind and he wished he could make up for the last time she healed him.

Jack watched as she searched her drawers for something. He figured it was probably medicine, pain killers, or some other type of remedy. He felt a little embarrassed, having to be helped by a girl, _again_ , even though he knew nobody would ever find out from either of them. She smiled when she came upon what she was looking for. He waited for her to pull out the medicine but, instead, she pulled out a silver brush with a long thin handle and placed it firmly in his hands.

"Where is the wound?" She asked.

He felt his gut churn; he really didn't want to show it to her but he had a feeling she would look herself if he didn't just show her so, wearily, he lifted the corner of his shirt. He watched her eyes widen at the now bluish purple bruise that curved in the shape of a wide 'V'. He stared at her uneasily when she failed to make a comment about it after a few moments.

"How'd this happen?" She asked with a hushed yet firm tone. He lowered his head in defeat; should he tell her? She might wind up upset if he told her another lie, so instead he said nothing.

"If I show you something, do you _swear_ not to tell?" She asked. The seriousness in her tone made him cringe for some reason. The way she asked almost made him a little more afraid of her then Bunny at that moment. He stared down at the brush, confused, and then back at her. She looked as if she were about to do the most dangerous thing in her life and he couldn't help but wonder what this was all about. He nodded to answer her question and then she picked up a large gathering of her hair and placed it in his hands.

"You want me to…brush your hair?" He asked in confusion. Nothing that was going on right now made sense. She let out a heavy, exaggerated sigh and looked back at him.

"Look, I know it sounds confusing but it'll help." She assured him.

He looked at the two objects in his hands and lightly began to stroke the golden hair. He felt that this was really stupid. Why was he doing this? How would this help? He was about to stop when Rapunzel started singing a beautiful melody. He would've questioned her healing methods right then but quickly shut his mouth when a bright golden light started pouring out from her scalp and glowing throughout the rest of her hair. Even worse, as he paid closer attention to the lyrics, he recognized the song.

" _Flower gleam and glow,_

 _Let your power shine,_

 _Make the clock reverse,_

 _Bring back what once was mine,_

 _Heal what has been hurt,_

 _Change the fates design,_

 _Save what has been lost,_

 _Bring back what once was mine,_

 _What once was mine"_

The golden light disappeared from her hair and melted away along with Jack's sanity and an awkward silence drifted between the two teens. He wasn't sure whether to be amazed or just terrified. He'd heard the old demon woman singing the first part of that song in his nightmares. He had never even known about that song before that and there Rapunzel was, only moments before, repeating the half horrifying, half beautiful song. Even more, HER HAIR GLOWS! When was this a thing, or even possible for that matter?!

He was so caught up in the surprise of it all that he didn't even acknowledge the fact that the pain that had consumed his body before had mysteriously vanished. She slowly stood up and he slowly followed. She was breathing heavily and waiting for some sort of response from him. He was ready to inundate her with as many questions as he could possibly think of: how had her hair glowed like that, why was she singing the song from his

nightmares, what was so important about keeping her mysterious glowing hair a secret; but, in the end, he could barely get out two faint words.

" _Your hair?!"_ He choked out.

* * *

 **Still Jack:**

A hundred years, give or take, as a spirit and he thought he'd seen it all. Oh, how wrong he was. He had just witnessed the craziest thing he had ever seen in his life. It had taken him a few moments to recover from the shock of earlier and then, only after things started settling down, did he realize the large bruise was gone and healed. They sat down together and Rapunzel had taken the time to explain everything to him in great detail. People trying to take her magic hair for themselves when she was younger, the magical

qualities it possessed, and how it turned brown and magic less when cut. It was all the big hidden reason her mother never let her leave the tower. They were afraid of the outside world. Everything, down to the most confusing detail, was explained. He didn't blame her for wanting to keep such a secret from him. He was the only other person, besides her mom and Pascal, that knew about this strange ability. He was deeply lost in thought and so he didn't notice Rapunzel across from him staring and thinking of a way to change the subject.

"So…" She broke his thought. "Are you angry?"

He stared up in shock; why would she think he was angry?

"No, no of course not. Just…very surprised to say the least." He answered.

They sat there in silence, unsure of what to say.

"Do you still want to be friends with me?"

"Do you still want to be friends with me?" They asked in unison.

They stared back at each other and, before Jack could do anything, Rapunzel started laughing; sensing that things between them were good, he began giggling along side her. Both kept laughing until they were almost in tears and a certain chameleon, that had stayed out of sight thus far, smiled at the two

teenagers from behind a book on the bookshelf.

Rapunzel stood up and started to walk but, just as she took the second step, she tripped over her hair and landed right on top of Jack, causing them both to fall to the floor. Hitting the wooden floor at such a hard impact, he closed his eyes in pain but they quickly snapped open when he felt something land hard on his mouth. He looked, wide eyed with shock, to see the same stare of green eyes less than an inch from him.

They were so paralyzed with shock that it took them a moment to register what was happening. Immediately Rapunzel push herself off and stood to her feet with a look of pure terror on her face. He still lay on the ground, breathing heavily in complete shock of what had just happened.

"I-I am s-so sorry!" She exclaimed.

His eyes drifted up to her. Her cheeks were a deep red with embarrassment and her whole body was shaking. As his mind began to process everything, his own cheeks filled with heat. They had just _kissed!_ Accidental yes, but it was still a kiss! He slowly lifted himself and lifted his head up to her.

"I-I…" She stammered in an effort to find words.

He watched as tears started to fall down her face. She turned to run upstairs and he jumped, catching her, and then he did something that he didn't even expect himself to do. He pulled her back and kissed her _again_ but more on purpose this time rather than accidentally. Her lips were soft and gentle and felt rather similar to a melted snowflake. She stared back in a mixture of shock and confusion. After a moment his eyes widened at the realization of what he was doing and quickly he shoved himself back. What was

wrong with him?! All the feelings came to him in a sudden flood and was struck with the horrifying conclusion; he _liked_ her and not the normal kind of like, he _really_ liked her!

"I-I-I um I…" He stammered out when he saw the almost unreadable expression on her face. Did she look angry? No, scared? No. She was just blank.

"I am s-sorry! I have n-no idea what came over me!" He said in hopes he could get some reaction, but there was nothing. She just stood there.

His own heart was beating louder than he could think. He tried everything; waving, shouting, apologizing, and she was still unresponsive. Oh no, did he paralyze her?! He was about to panic when she broke the silence, frightening him.

"You're…a good kisser." She stated softly.

His heart nearly stopped.

' _Did…did she just say I was a good kisser?!'_ He asked himself.

"W-What?" He asked, trying to confirm his mind wasn't messing with him.

She looked up into his eyes this time.

"I said, you're. a. good. kisser." She stated louder, with no shame or embarrassment indicated in her voice whatsoever.

"I think I've had enough adventure and weird stuff happen for today. I'm going to bed. Goodnight Jack." She stated very slowly and walked upstairs without a second glance to the nearly paralyzed boy standing in the middle of the room.

* * *

 **Jack again*sorry o.o*:**

The young boy bounced off the rooftops with joy.

" .EVER!" He exclaimed and laughed as he sent trails of frost skidding across the rooftops.

It really was. He'd never felt so many good emotions all at once in his life. He dropped into the pathway and sent blasts of ice running up the stone. His face was starting to hurt from all the smiling but he couldn't seem to stop. Everything was so perfect; someone could see him, that person likes him, he likes that person! Things might have stayed that way if he hadn't walked right into the dark alleyway with such happiness that he seemed to forget that there were still problems. A rustle broke behind him and he immediately pointed his staff towards the noise, in defense. A shadow rose up in front of him and he soon recognized the tall figure. Bunny!

"Don't you dare come any closer! Unless you want your ears frozen together!" He threatened but Bunny didn't seem to be fazed by the winter spirit's words, as he stepped out of the shadows revealing his full

form.

"Goo'day mate." He stepped closer with a wide, unusual grin.

These guys were the protectors of children, for heaven's sake! So why did they, and Bunny specifically, always look so evil to him?!

"BUNNY! I SAID…" He started but didn't get to finish when a large fluffy hand snatched him right off the ground and held him in the air with such ease it was as if he were not more than a pillow.

"HEY! PUT ME DOWN!" He shouted and reach back in a hope to release the furry creature's grasp on his hood. It started yelling nonsense and shoved Jack roughly into a sack. He pushed against the sides but the bag was tight and hard to break out of.

"BUNNY!" He shouted.

He screamed when he found he was falling fast and bright colors faintly shone through the sack. Before he could even try to comprehend what was happening, he hit a hard unfeeling surface and things grew hazy and all that was left was darkness.


	12. Chapter 12

The room was warm, a lot more warm than he was comfortable with, and an intense sent of peppermint surrounded him. _Wait_ , peppermint? Where was he? Slowly, Jack opened one eye, followed by the other, and was not pleased with what he saw. A large man turned, with a bright smile and intimidating form, and came forward, acknowledging the teen's awakening.

"Ah! Jack Frost!" He exclaimed.

Remembering all that had happened the night before, or however long ago it was (he wasn't sure), he sprang up to look for the closest window, only to find a certain furry mass standing in front of it with an egg and a paintbrush in hand, _er_ paw.

"BUNNY!" He charged but was immediately blocked by something so close, he could only see a blur of colors.

"Whoa! Calm down! You can tear each other apart later, after you let us explain." A female voice spoke with urgency.

He backed away to see a pair of amethyst eyes staring at him. The _Tooth Fairy._

"You don't have to explain! I already know why I'm here and before any of you start listing off horrible torturous ways to get me to talk; I will not tell you _anything_!" He shouted in utter defiance.

The three looked at him in pure shock. Even Bunny looked up from his egg for a moment, with a look of shock and confusion on his face, but he didn't care; they would _not_ find out where Rapunzel was.

"Why, why would you even begin to think we would ever physically harm you?!" She asked with great concern sounding in her voice. He arched an eyebrow.

"So you're saying you plan to _mentally_ harm me?" He scoffed out and Tooth's eyes widened.

"What, no! We're not going to hurt you at all! Please, you have to understand this is important! Just give us a chance to talk." She cried but he wasn't convinced. He knew that if hurting or killing one teenager would save the belief of millions of children, they wouldn't hesitate to do it; it was their job after all. He looked at her with doubt in his eyes and knelt down to retrieve his staff from the red sack on the floor. He searched around; Bunny was blocking his only known exit; Tooth was standing right in front of him and North; he wasn't sure how easily he might get away from North. There was someone missing to the party though. He looked around but Sandy didn't seem to be anywhere in sight.

" _Please"_ She repeated softly.

He studied the fairy's features carefully; she seemed so sincere but was it all a trick? Everyone else in the room just seemed shocked by his comments before. Okay, maybe they really weren't planning to hurt anyone; maybe, just maybe, he overreacted, but how was he to know for sure? Everyone stood in an awkward silence. There was nothing he could do; he was severely outnumbered, so he sat and waited, refusing to make eye contact and the others stared at him.

"Well?…I'm listening."

The Guardians, still slightly stunned, let out a sigh of relief at the sudden cooperation and each pulled in chairs to sit and explain themselves (excluding Bunny who remained blocking the exit). Just as North began to talk, the doors flung open and a large golden ship (I would have used a plane but they weren't invented yet) soared inside with trails of dream sand flowing behind it. Jack stared up in wonder as it circled the globe and stooped down, landing several feet away from him.

"Wow." He stated in complete awe.

"Ah, Sandy, how nice of you to join us!" North said as the elves brought a plate of cookies, handing it to him.

Sandy sent a friendly wave and smiled as he floated out of the ship and headed towards them, tipping a golden cap at Jack. He still wanted to dart away at any moment but all their friendly gestures made him relax a bit, without meaning to. Everyone sat down and began to explain to him everything they were concerned about and why _he_ should be concerned. It was going to be a _long_ talk.

 **30 minutes later…**

"RAPUNZEL IS NOT A WITCH!" The scream could be heard on the other side of the Pole, causing concerned yetis to look up from their work in concern; even the elves stopped their 'work' with eyes darting around to locate the source of the sudden outburst. In the globe room, a frantic fairy tried to calm the angry winter spirit as the others took shelter from the rising storm that continued to rip through the workshop. Sandy stood on the sidelines with a ball of dream sand, attempting to locate the boy through the massive blizzard.

"S-Sweet Tooth! Calm down!" She yelled.

He turned to look at her. _Calm down_?! They'd practically accused his best friend (maybe a little more than a friend by now) of being a witch! So what if she could use magic? It was the good kind of magic that helped people, or at least would if she'd go outside! Witches were supposed to be old and ugly, with their dark magic and poison voices; Rapunzel was young and beautiful, as if she had been born from the sun itself, and seemed to have a voice that only an angel would possess. How dare they even remotely accuse her of being something so terrible!

He calmed himself enough to allow the storm to go down and stared at them with a hatful glare that they had never seen on the fun-loving, prankster spirit before. Bunny possessed a similar stare, but it seemed more out of confusion, and North just sat crouched behind a table, wide-eyed at the instantaneous response to their theory. Sandy stood there, still holding his ball of dream sand, should Jack attempt to start another blizzard.

"Jack, I know it's not something you want to believe but think about it! How else would she be able to see you without believing in you?! It's not possible for a spirit!" Bunny was the first to yell and Jack narrowed his eyes dangerously at him.

"She hasn't even ever stepped foot on the ground before! How could you think someone like her could be anything of the sort?!" He countered.

"You don't understand, do you? She's playing with you! She's waiting for the right moment to strike! Yer in danger; don't you see were trying to help you!?"

Jack stopped and looked at them all with a near expressionless face. _Help him_? Help him?! He started to laugh so low that it was almost inaudible at first. The Guardians stared confused and slightly freaked out as his laugh grew throughout the workshop. What on earth was with this kid? Suddenly it ceased into silence and in its place stood a spirit who's blue eyes were now glowing with fury and they almost wished he would continue his evil like laughter again. He started to speak, slow with anger.

"If you wanted to help me, should have started one hundred years ago!" He gritted his teeth and, with a dart, practically shoved Bunny through the window and flew out into the storm.

This was ridiculous! There was no witch! He flew back towards Rapunzel's home, practically fuming. Of course Rapunzel was no danger to anyone! Even if she were a witch, she would tell him… _right_?

* * *

 **Hi guys, sorry it took so long for the update on this story. I was having a writer's block overload for this story, so I started another to work on until I could think of a chapter for this one. Also, sorry it's so short! I will try to make the next one longer!**


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